Pump for centralized lubricating systems



March 14, 1950 Y* E. w, DAVIS 2,500,524

PUMP FOR CENTRALZED LUBRICATING SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 30, 1946 PatentedMar. 14, 1950 UNITED Ns rmflsfs PATENT orf/FICE 'PUMPFOR CENTRALIZEDLUBRICATING SYSTEMS `Ernest iavis, River fForest, 111.

Application August-30, 194i6, Serial No. 693,836

@-6 .Glaims. .l

invention relates generally-to lpumpsffor centralizedlubricatingfsystemaand more par-- l""-ticularly to control meansfor'autornaticallyfrelieving -the'pressure atthe outlet `'oi such'pumpatlpredetermined intervals.

In l many centralized lubricating systems l eml plo'ying` measuring.valVes, it is` necessary for the properoperation of` such measuringtValves that the pressure in `the supply `line :be `relieved.:periodically to permitthevalve mechanisms to `be .freseti for fasubsequent operation.

`.Itis the-'object of my;invention;to provide a simple andfaeffective`pumping apparatus, .which :operates automatically torelieve thepressure in the `supply line atapredetermined timejntervals :1A: furtherobject is toy provide animprovedelectromagnetic means for maintaining apressure `relieving Valve, connected to a centralized lubri- Lcatingsystem, inopen position` for alpredetermined 1 `time interval, provideda predetermined pressure in the lubricating system has been eX- ceededduring atpreceding time interval.

A `further object is `to;.provide an improved timing mechanism for`centralized lubricating #.systems. l

Other objects will `be apparentfromthe vfol-- `lovving description,reference beinghad to ,the i fl accompanying drawings, .in which:",liig. 1 is a central Vertical'sectionalview of a l preferredembodiment `of-my invention; and i IEig."2 is aldiagrarnmaticrepresentationthereof.. including a, schematic Wiring diagram.

Referring to"Fig..1, the lubricant pump is en-` closed in a reservoirI`for oilorthe like, the pumping mechanism being supported on a shelf I2which may be secured to the side Walls of the .reservoirill in anysuitable manner, as by Weld- "ing The top I4 of thecontainer is providedWith a lling'opening normally closed' byaplug suitably' secured'upon"the shelf: I2 'is a small fractional 'horsepowerpump driving motorI8 which, through'a suitable speed'reducing gearingcontained Withinahousing 20, 'drivesa crank i-`disct22 to which the upperend'of` aconnecting `ro'di'is 4pivotally connected. The lower end of"'-theconnecting-rod 24 is secured to a` piston rod *V26* having 4apiston 28'reciproc'ableti-ny a` cylinder 36 formed in' acylinderlblockBZ. IThecylincler l block'is carriedby' a pipe 34suitablysecuredat its f 'upper-end` tothe shelf I2. The lowerendof-` the"c'yl-inder blocki32 is notched tdprovide inletports The `outlet port 42:of athe pump "is-"connected-b '.alcheckvalve 43 andlzconduitfM With'apressure Vresponsive deviceili whichacomprises a cylinder l48in whicha-plungeriis reciprocable. ySecured.v

to the plunger 5|] is awweight :512lmadepat `least in part, ofrsofthiron or similar` magnetic material. .Thecylin'der T118 has `an outletvent .port 54. "The Vinterior of thecylinder`48 is lin communica- C tion`nfth"`tlie conduit/M as well: as a rconduit :156 110 which leads to abranched yconduit vsystem F58, the'latter leadingto suitablezmeasuringdevices which may be of any `suitable constructionpsuch, forexample asthose showninlthe :patentsto "Teal No. 2,205,320 `and the application`of :Fred- 115ferick fG. Schweisthal, Serial No. .`570,961,;'flledJanuary l, 1945. p

A timing motor 62, preferably a synchronous imotor, .operatesnthroughfa` suitablefspeed reducing gearing :to` drivexa cam ylill/thetcamhaving a single highepointadapted `to` actuate theiresiliently biasedoperating .arm '1:66 vor" "a i microswitch 1.163. "The:microswitch`controls; the-penergzation fof :the .Imotor I8, as Well as.` anvelectromagnet Il!! having a shading `coil il I Which `is `secured to.: amountking. plate 12,;'the'.latterfbeingd suitably; mounted: on Luthei`.shelf 1 ['2, ,and also-serving as .a mountingtpfor l the :switch :6B"and motortIZ.

Referring now `towlig.12, `itwWill befinote'dithat `upon closure. oflazmaintswitchsm, current` is asup- '30 plied'fto'the timing motorZ, and`afterthe cam te thereof has `rotated throughwasmalltangle from the tpositionvshown, the 'vmicroswitch :arm 1:66 `permits l switchi'* toclose, .thereby supplying current 1 to :the motor I8 and electromagnet1.10. Whentheumotor Is8vis energizedithe piston 528 :of 4the pump isreciprooated, .thispiston descend-` ing'below the upper edges ofthe`inlet portsi361to admitlubricant, and discharging oilf past the put ilet port 1421and check valve? 43. Thepressure': is l .therebybuilt` up)in the conduit system L5 6,658 ,fand

supplied fto the x measuring Valves or feederfdef-vicesf60- Thesedevices lareuthus"operatedto supply measured charges: of lubricant toother respective Sbearingstol which they are" connected. x

continued operation :of the pump-'builds i up the pressure in theconduit systemfand in' thelower `eri'd'offthe cylinder '48. 'When thepressurelin 1"the conduit Vsystem i and -cylinder "l48l isV sufficientto overcometheiforce Aofgravity acting upon ythe weight f52 ,Y the"latter 4is elevated' to a 'position 'approximatelyas shown inI dottedlines* inf4 Fig?" 2, f in relatively*close proximityl tothe.:.polesnoflthe -flelectromagnet' l0. i

"Ilmheeshadingrcollv?! Itis yused-to"prevent-'chattin- After all of thedevices 6l) have-operatdythe p the underlying principles of theinvention.

ing Whenever the apparatus is operated from alternating current. Whenthe weight 52 is thus raised to the dotted line position of Fig. 2, theelectromagnet 'l0 exerts a suiiicient pull on the Weight to drawit-upwardly against the poles of the electromagnet, in which positionthe plunger 50 fully uncovers the vent port 54, and the oil underpressure in the conduit system G, 58, as well as that'supplied by thepump, is freely discharged through the vent port 54, thus reducing thepressure in the conduit system 58 substantially to atmospheric pressure.Under these conditions, the measuring devices Gil are free to resetthemselves to normal condition in which they are ready to operate uponagain supplying them with lubricant under pressure suflicient to operatethem.

After a predetermined time interval, the cam 64 opens switch 68, thusdeenergizing both the electromagnet lo and a motor i3. the electromagnetl!) is deenergized, the weight 52 `will force the plunger 'd to theposition in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 2, whereupon thesystem is in condition for repetition of the cycle above described.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention,it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereofmay be made without departing from I therefore desire, by the followingclaims, to include within the scope of the invention all such variationsand modifications by which substantially the results of my invention maybe obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalentmeans.

I claim:

1. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, thecombination of a pump, an electric motor to drive said pump, a pluralityof measuring devices operable to discharge measured quantities oflubricant to their associated bearings upon alternately supplyinglubricant t under pressure and relieving the pressure, a conduit systemconnecting the discharge of said pump "to the measuring devices, arvertical cylinder having one end thereof in communication with theconduit system, said cylinder having a vent port spaced from said end, aplunger reciprocable in said cylinder and when in its lower positionobstructing said vent port, a weight having a portion of magneticmaterial secured to the plunger and adapted to be elevated thereby whenthe lubricant pressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceeds thatwhich can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight andplunger, an electromagnet located above the weight and of insufficientstrength when energized to draw the weight from its lower position, butoperable when the weight is raised a distance substantially suiiicientto uncover the vent port to draw the weight to the electromagnet,

and a time switch operated at predetermined intervals to energize saidelectric motor and said electromagnet. v

2. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, thecombination of a pump, means to drive said pump, a plurality ofmeasuring devices each operable upon alternately supplying lubricantunder pressure and relieving the pressure to discharge measured quantivties oflubricant to their associated bearings, a

i one end thereof in communication'with the con- AS S0011 aS 4 duitsystem, said cylinder having a vent port spaced from said end thereof, aplunger reciprocable in said cylinder, a weight having a portion ofmagnetic material operatively connected to the plunger and adapted to beelevated thereby whenA the lubricant pressure in the conduit systemexceeds that which can be resisted by the force of gravity acting uponthe weight, an electromagnet located above the weight and ofinsuiiicient strength when energized to draw the weight from its lowerposition, but operable to draw the weight to the electromagnet when theweight is raised a distance substantially suicient to uncover the ventport, and a time switch operated at predetermined intervals to energizesaid electromagnet.

3. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, thecombination of a pump, means to drive said pump, a conduitl systemconnected to receive the discharge of the pump, a vertical cylinderhaving one end thereof in communication with the conduit system, saidcylinder having a vent port spaced from said end thereof, a plungerreciprocable in said cylinder, a weight having a portion of magneticmaterial secured to the plunger and adapted to be elevated thereby whenthe lubricant pressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceeds thatwhich can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight andplunger, an electromagnet located above the weight and of insufficientstrength when energized to draw the Weight from its lower position, butoperable when the weight is raised a distance substantially sufficientto uncover the vent port to draw the weight to the electromagnet, and atime switch operated at predetermined intervals to energize saidelectromagnet.

4. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, thecombination of a pump, means to drive said pump, a conduit systemconnected to receive the discharge of said pump, a cylinder having oneend thereof in communication with the conduit system, said cylinderhaving a vent port spaced from said end thereof, a plunger reciprocablein said cylinder, a weight having a portion of magnetic materialoperatively connected to the plunger and adapted tobe elevated therebywhen the lubricant pressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceedsthat which can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon theweight, an electromagnet located above the weight and of insuiicientstrength when energized to draw the weight from its lower position, butoperable to draw the weight to the electromagnet when the weight israised a distance substantially sufficient to uncover the vent port, anda time switch operated at predetermined intervals to energize saidelectromagnet.

5. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, thecombination of a pump, `means to drive said pump, a conduit systemconnected to receive the discharge of said pump, a cylinder' having oneend thereof in communication with the conduit system, said cylinderhaving a `vent port spaced from said end thereof, a. plungerreciprocable in said cylinder, a weight of magnetic material secured tothe plunger to be elevated thereby when the force due to the lubricantpressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceeds that which can beresisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight and plunger,

means to hold the weight in raised position after -it has been elevateda distance substantially sufcient to cause the plunger to uncover thevent port, and periodically operating means to render said holding meansineffective.

6. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, thecombination of a pump, means to drive said pump, a conduit systemconnected to receive the discharge of the pump, a vertical cylinderhaving one end thereof in communication with the conduit system, saidcylinder having a vent port spaced `from said end thereof, a plungerreciprocable in said cylinder, and when in its lower positionobstructing the vent port, a weight having a portion of magneticmaterial secured to the plunger and adapted to be elevated thereby'to-uncover the vent port when the force due to lubricant pressure inthe lower end of the cylinder exceeds that which can be resisted by theforce of gravity acting upon the weight and plunger, an electromagneticERNEST W. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,135,563 Davis Nov. 9i, 19382,206,335 Rotter July 2, 1940 2,328,812 Klein Sept. 7, 1943

